Extension table



Jan. 8 1924- E. A. GUTRIDGE EXTENSION TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet z E. A. GUTRlDGE EXTENSION TABLE Filed April 26,1922

Jan. 8 1924.

Patented Jan. 8, 192- 1.

UNITED l C E i rear ELDON A. GUTBIDG'E, OF OT'IAVIA, KANSAS.

EXTENSION TABLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELDON A. GUTRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottawa, in the county of Franklin and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extension Tables", and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to extension tables, the primary object being to provide a table, the top of which may normally be contracted within a relatively small compass but which may be extended to increase its size whenever desired.

Means is provided whereby the table may he constricted to its smallest size or extended to its largest size or to an .inter mediate size so that the surface area of the table may be variable, and to this end the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be referred to hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a table constructed in accordance with my invention, part of the top being broken away to show the operating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view through the table, showing the positions of the parts when the table top is retracted to its smallest size.

Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the table top extended to its largest size.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view showing the table top contracted to its smallest size and particularly illustrating the elevating cams; the supplemental leaf elevating bars, the racks and opinions for operating the cams being omitted in this view.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one end of one of the table leaves having a retaining finger for engagement with a stop angle on one of the stationary parts of the table, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, perspective view of two adjacent leaf parts. a

The base board 1 of the table is supported upon suitable legs 2. The base board 1 supports two recessed side bars 3 and 4 which are rigid with the base board 1, the side bars 8 and 4 having their portions cut away inhers 9 and 10 toward termediate their ends to provide supplemental leaf supporting recesses or seats 5 and 6.

The bars 3 and 4 carry at their upper edges near their respective ends angles 7, having outstanding flanges 8, which are adapted to be engaged by complementary fingers or plates on supplemental leaves to be described hereinafter.

The major or end sections 9 and 10 of the table top-are slidably supported 011 the base board 1 by the slides 11 and 12 for the end member 9 and 13 and 14 for the end member 10. The members 11 and 12 are tongue-andgrooved to the members 3 and 4 and the members 13 and 14': are tongue-and-grooved to the bars 11 and 12 are guided by the side bars 3 and 4E and so that the guide bars 13 and 14 are guided by the slide bars 11 and 12. Therefore, it will be seen that the end members 9 and 10 may slide back and forth toward the transverse center of the table top which is provided with a fixed transverse bar 15, supported upon the battens or rigid guide bars 16 and 17 carried by the bottom or base board 1. o

The transverse bar or table top section 15 is immovable and the members 9 and 10 move toward and away from it.

Means is provided for moving the memand away. from the fixed transverse bar 15.

Mounted in hearings on the bottom or base plate 1 is a shaft 18 having at one end an operating crank 19 and carrying a pinion 20 which meshes with the teeth on the bottom of the rack bar 21 and with the teeth on the top of the rack bar The rack bar 21 is fastened to the table top 1.9 at 23 and the rack bar 22 is fastened to the table top member 10 at 21. Therefore, when the pinion rotates in a clockwise direction, the rack bar 21 will be moved from left to right and the rack bar 22 will be moved from right to left, causing the table top sections 9 and 10 to move away from the central top 7 section 15. WVhen the pinion is rotated in a contra-clockwise direction, the. rack bar 21 will be moved from right to left and the rack bar 22 will be moved from left to right so as to slide the table top sections 9 and 10 toward the central section 15.

When the end sections 9 and 10 are moved away from the section 15 and it is desirable to introduce leaves or supplemental table members 11 and 12 so that the sliding ing top sections, these can be introduced in pairs to align with the sections 9 and 10. By reference to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be observed that there are two sets of supplemental leaves normally stored below the table top sections 9 and 10 when such sections are in their restricted or retracted position. The leaves 25 and 26 rest one upon the other on one side of the transverse center or board 15 and the leaves 27 and 28 rest one upon the other beneath the table top section 9 on one side of the central board 15. The sections or leaves 25, 26, 27 and 28 may be received in the bottom of the recesses and 6 and as they are positioned transversely of the table, they say rest upon the longitudinal elevators 29 and 89. The elevators each consist of a lower bar '31 and an upper bar 32, the upper bar being secured to the lower bar by the links 38 and 34 "(see Fig. 4).

The lower bar in each instance is pro vided with a finger-receiving slot 35, through which a finger may be projected to raise the upper bar 32 away from the lower bar 31, as will be explained hereinafter.

The lower bar 31 is fastened to the base boardor plate 1 by links 86 and 37.

The two elevator sets 29 and 80 are on opposite sides of the longitudinal center 0? the table and they exert their lifting force against the sections 25. 2G, 27 and 28 in synchronism to lift both ends at the same time and thereby allow the table top leaves to come into proper position in the proper manner.

IVIGHIIS is provided for actuating the ole vators and by reference to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be observed that there is a transverse shaft 88 extending across the table and mounted in suitable bearings. The shaft has cams orcrank arms 39 and 40 which are in line with but adapted to bridge the slots At right angles to the arms or came 39 and 40 are fingggers 41 and 42 which longer than the cams 89 and 40 and whie, are narrow enough to enter the slo s On the shaft 88 is a star wheel or trip 43, having projections 44 and 45 and hes against the star wheel is tension or lag spring 46 so that the star wheel will be held in any position in which it has been adjusted. Fastened to one of the end sections, in the present instance 9, is a star wheel actuating rod 47, having two pins and 48 thereon which are adapted to contact with the projections 44 and respectively.

When the table is extended, that is, when the crank 19 is turned to actuate the shaft 18 to cause the pinion to operate the racks 21 and 22 and thereby move the ends 9 and away from the central table member 15, the pin 48 will first come in contact with 45 to rock the shaft 38 so that the cams 39 and 40 will raise the elevators 29 and 30 :i height equal to the thickness of the table top members 9 and 10 so that the leaves 25 and 27 will come into alignment with the table top members 9 and 10 and fill up the space between the central. member and the respective edges of the members 9 and 10. Then the table is enlarged tothe extent of the widths of the two members and 27.

If it is desired to enlarge the table further, the shaft 18 is further rotated until the pin 48 contacts with the projecting portion 45, when the shaft 38 will be rocked to bring the cam fingers 42 and 43 through into the slots and raise the bars 82 on their links 33 and 34 so that the lower sec tions 26 and 28 will be raised. It is understood that the cams 89 and can never enter the slots because their edges are wider than the slots; therefore, since they are shorter than the fingers 42 and 43', they will not raise the bars 32as high as the fingers 42 and 43 will raise them.

While the table members 9 and 10 are moving outward to their fullest extent to allow the members 26 and 28 to be raised into table-t0p-aligning position, the angles 49 and 49 will be moving toward the hooked ends 50 and 50 of the rods 51 and 52, rigidly projecting from the outer of the members 25 and 27. .Vhen the table top members 9 and 10 have moved far enough, the angles 49 and 49 will contact with the ends 50 and 50 and more the rods in opposite directions, carryin with tl'iem the members 25 and 27 away cm the central member 15 to provide the necessary space for the members '26 and 28 to move vertically into table-top al'igning position.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the angles 49 and 49 in contact with the hooked ends 30 and. 50 so that the sections will be in the fol lowing arrangement: The central section 15 with supplemental leaves and 28 on opposite sides thereof, sections 25 and 2? on. opposite sides of these, and finally the end sections 19 and 9.

The sections 25 and 27 carry cleats or project-ions 53 which ride under the flanges 8 of the angles 7 when the table extended. to its utmost degree so that the leaves 25 and 27 cannot be raised. This is shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

When it is desired to re-contract the table to its smallest size, as shown in 2 and 4, the crank 19 is turned in a direction to cause the pinion 20 to first move in a clockwise direction so that the pin 4.8 will move past 45, at the same time spreading the members 9 and 10 slightly apart. The shaft 18 is turned in a contra-clockwise direction, imparting movement to the pin-- ion 20 in the same direction and drawing in the racks 21 and 22. The pin 48 now Ill) on the right hand side of the projection44c contacts with it from right to left, turning it so that the fingers l2 and 43 are moved out of contact with the bars 32 so that the first set of leaves, that is, the members 26 and 28, may recede below the table top. Further movement in the same direction will permit the pin 48 to throw the projection 45 over from right to left and thereby cause the cams 39 and 40 to move out of engagement with the bars 31 to allow the leaves or members 25 and 27 to recede below the table top when they have been moved into proper position by the iuward movement of the members 9 and 10. A further rotation of the shaft 18 will bring the members 9 and 10 into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Then the pins 48 and 48 are on the left hand side of the star wheel or cam shaft actuator, ready to actuate the cam shaft actuator again when the members 9 and 10 are spread apart.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an extension table which may mechanically move certain auxiliary parts commonly termed leaves or inserts into and out of the plane of the normal table top members, the table top members being adapted to be moved toward and away one from the other to make room for the auxiliary table top members or leaves and adapted to'cover them when they are not in use.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An extension table comprising a base board, rigid side bars carried by the base board and having recesses intermediate their ends, oppositely movable table top members supported by the base board and in guiding relation with the side bars, a transverse shaft journaled on the base board and having a pinion thereon, means for turning the shaft, two rack bars carried by the oppositely slidable table top members and engaging the top and bottom of the pinion respectively, two pairs of table leaves lying one upon the other in the recesses of the side bars, means for raising each pair of leaves into the plane of the slidable table top members, said means comprising ele'- vators consisting of bars linked one on top of the other and in pairs, one of the bars having a vertical slot, a shaft carried by the base board, a star wheel rigid on the shaft, a bar movable with one of the slidable table top members, projections on the slidable bar for contacting with the projections on the star wheel to rotate the second mentioned shaft, pairs of cams on the second mentioned shaft, one cam of each pair being of suflicient width to bridge the slot in the lower elevator bar, and the other cam being at an angle thereto and of width sufficient to pass through the slot to raise the upper bar of each pair, and means for actuating the first mentioned shaft.

2. An extension table comprising a base board, rigid side bars carried by the base board and having recesses intermediate their ends, oppositely movable table top members supported by the base board and in guiding relation with the side bars, a transverse shaft journaled on the base board and having a pinion thereon, means for turning the shaft, two rack bars carried by the oppositely slidable table top members and engaging the top and bottom of the pinion respectively, two pairs of table leaves lying one upon the other in the recesses of the side bars, means for raising each pair of leaves into the plane of the slidable table top members, said means comprising elevators con sisting of bars linked one on top of the other and in pairs, one of the bars having a vertical slot, a shaft carried by the base board, a star wheel rigid on the shaft, a bar movable with one of the slidable table top members, projections on the slidable bar for contacting with the projections on the star wheel to rotate the second mentioned shaft, pairs of cams on the second mentioned shaft, one cam of each pair being of sufficient Width to bridge the slot in the lower elevator bar and the other cam being at an angle thereto and of a width suflicient to pass through the slot to raise the upper bar of each pair, means for actuating the first mentioned shaft, and means on each slidable table top member for shifting certain of the leaves longitudinally of the table when the table top members have moved a determined distance away from the transverse center thereof so as to provide space for a second set of leaves to move vertically into the plane of the table top members.

3. An extension table comprising a base board, slidable table top members carried by the base board, a rack and pinion for operating the slidable table top members to move them toward and away from the transverse center of the table, table top leaves normally below the slidable table top mem bers, means for raising two leaves vertically in unison into the plane of the table top members, means for shifting the raised leaves away from the transverse center of the table but in the plane of the table top members, and means for shifting a second set of leaves into the plane of the table top members.

4. An extension table comprising a base board, slidable table top members carried by the base board, a rack and pinion for operating the slidable table top members to move them toward and away from the transverse center of the table, table top leaves normally below the slidable table top members, means for raising two leaves in a vertical plane in unison into the plane of'the table top members, mean-s for shifting the raised leaves away from thetransv'erse center of the table but in "the plane of the table top members, means for shifting a second set-of leaves into the plane of the table top m'embers, anc'l means for locking the shifted set of table top leaves against yerticalinoy'ement after they have been shifted in the plane of the table top members.

5. An extension table comprising shiftable table top members, leaves normally below them and arranged in groups of two one group resting upon the other, means for raising the first group of leaves into vertical position, means actuated "by the table top members for moving the two leaves of the top group away one'i'rom the other When the nmegsos table top members are shifted in opposite directions, and means for lifting the segond group of table top members into the spaces formerly occupied by the first.

6. An extension table comprising shiftab'le' table top n'l'en'lhers, means for operating them in unison, pairs of leaves normally below the table top members, one pair normally resting upon the other pair, means for lifting the top pair or" leaves into the plane of the table top, means for shifting the'top pair longiti'idinally toward the ends of the table, and means for lifting" the second pair of leaves into the space formerly occupied by the first.

In testimony whereof I am my signature.

ELDON A. GUTRIDGE. 

